Ghost Boy

Ch 2. Burial

I follow Caleb down the bland halls of the church.
My family isn't religious, but living in the area we did there were no funeral homes that would host an open casket without robbing my siblings of money.

Caleb meets keykey in the hallway.

He sighs, "you ready sis?"
"Yeah.." my sister whispers.

Caleb and I grew up together, and he grew to know keykey as 'sis' because in a way, she was his sister.

She takes his hand and places something in it. "I thought you'd like to have it.."
My necklace, the one with a 'C' on it.

At this gesture of kindness which keykey has always shown  toward Caleb, he crys.

My sister frowns, tears welling up in her eyes. She hugs him, "Don't cry or you'll make me cry!" She exclaims into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry.. I just really loved your brother, and I feel empty now he's gone. I feel as if there is no reason for staying alive when my will to live if my will to live is running dry."

She tightens her hold on Caleb's shoulders, standing on her toes. "I know you loved him, the signs were obvious to me. They stood out like blood in water. I love you, Caleb. Just like I loved him, you're like a third brother to me. You're important to me.. you'll always be just as important as he was..."

Caleb hugs her tightly, "He lives on in your heart, I can see it in the way you carry yourself now.. you're strong keykey, you may feel weak right now because you just lost your brother. You'll survive, but me on the other hand. I'm weak, I try to hide it but I can't. He was the one person who made me feel invincible. But now that he's gone I'll probably just end up dying. But if you remember all that you can about him, all the moments of your life with him. All the times you and him fought, all the times he said something rude or made fun of you, or all the times you laughed together. He will live on inside of you.
So live for me sis, do it for him and for me."

I watch as the tears fall from keykey's eyes. "I'll live for you, and for him! I wish I was the one in the car accident. I wish I was the one who died! I can't find love, I'd die alone. He'd find someone and get married and I'd like to think that he'd marry you.."

"Don't say that.. you'd find someone. And if you didn't by the time you were forty.. I'd have you come and live with me and my spouse, who ever they may have been!" Caleb exclaims, wiping her tears out of her eyes.

I smile slightly at this sight, my best friend and sister trying to comfort each other; something they're both terrible at.

"C'mon, we have to head to graveyard so we can bury him.." keykey mumbles, grabbing Caleb's hand and squeezing it.

He nods, following keykey outside to the car.

I shake my head, "I never knew so many tears would be shed for me.." I say to myself.

Today has been one hell of a day and I'm ready for it to be over. But I follow Caleb, he and keykey sit in the back seat of my brother's car, an old beat up Black Volkswagen from 2001 he got from our dad who collected used, cheap cars and refurbished them for fun.
I use to find dad's shop so cool when I was younger.
Dad's shop was the barn in the back of our house, which when we moved in he claimed as his area.

All of my siblings had a car that dad worked on, I had one too. Mine was a Jeep which has seen better days, and has an assortment of scratches and dents which I have no idea how the got there.
The reason why I was driving keykey's car was because mine was getting repairs.

My oldest sister, Naia. Looks at keykey, "you're a mess."

Keykey looks angry, "Don't you have a heart Naia? Our little brother is dead! You're being sarcastic now of all times?! And I didn't see you shed even a single tear for him! What the hell is wrong with you?!" She shouts at her, our of frustration and grief. My big sister, mad at our oldest sibling. And for the first time in her life, she's picking a fight with her.

Naia smiles, but it's not her usual mean smirk of a smile. Instead it's a warm but sorrowful smile. "It's because I made a promise to him when he was 4. It was right after auntie died, the day after her funeral.
Lock and I were sitting on the couch, watching Dragon Tales. We could hear mom crying in the kitchen. That's when Lock looked at me, and said 'if I die before you, don't cry. I don't want you to be sad, because I lived a happy life with you, Jay, and Keykey.' I've remembered that promise for the past 15 years and I intend in keeping it..."

My brother sighs, "I remember when Lock was born. Naia you were so pissed, you didn't want another sibling. And keykey.." he laughs to himself, "oh my god, you were so excited."

I smile at the thought of Naia being pissed off at my parents for having a forth child.

And then we're there... the grave yard, the hearse's doors are opened and my casket is carried out to the patch of now frozen ground where the hole for my coffin.

As they lower the coffin, Naia finally breaks. The tears fall. And so does she. Jason pulls her up and into a hug.

Slowly, one by one my family and friends line up, grabbing handfuls of dirt and throwing it onto my casket.
And then...
it's over.

The guests can return to their normal lives.. except those who were close to me.
Naia, Jason, keykey, and Caleb. All have a empty void in their hearts. A void that will never heal completely.

And.. I'm sorry I left you all too soon.